Anti-skid traction devices

ABSTRACT

An anti-skid traction device for mounting on the weeel of a vehicle comprises a triangular frame having means at two apices thereof for gripping the wheel, a slidable rod contained in one hollow arm of the frame, this rod having means adjacent the third apex for gripping the wheel, and resilient means for moving the rod into the hollow arm to securely grip the wheel.

United States Patent 1191 Pergament Jan. 1, 1974 4] ANTI-SKID TRACTIONDEVICES 1,769,307 7/l930 Price l52/225 2,429,738 10/1947 Zimmer 152/225[76] lnvemor- Henry Pergamemi Hawley 2,510,451 6/1950 Williams etal........ 152/225 North Salem, 0560 2,837,133 6/l958 Armenante a a1....152/228 X Filed: Feb- 25, 2,436,549 2/1948 Boyer [211 App]' 229417Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Related U S A fi afi D AssistantExaminer-Howard Beltran [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 215,536,Jan. 5, Attorney-Nelson Lute" et 1972 abandoned.

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 152/218, [52/225 [5 I 1 Int CL" 1360c 27/04,B60C 27/10 B60c 27/20 An ant1-sk1d traction devlce for mounting on the[58] Field of Search 152/225 226 227 Weee1fa Vehicle mPrises atriangular frame having 152 I228 means at two apices thereof forgripping the wheel, a slidable rod contained in one hollow arm of theframe, [56] References Cited this rod having means adjacent the thirdapex for gripping the wheel, and resilient means for moving the rodUMTED STATES PATENTS into the hollow arm to securely grip the wheel.2,717,019 9/1955 Baldwin 152/226 2,456,544 12/1948 Varner 152/225 7Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJ'W 1W 3,182,439

sum 2 OF 2 FIG .4

ANTI-SKID TRACTION DEVICES CROSS REFERENCE'TO RELATED APPLICATION Thisis a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 215,536filed Jan. 5, 1972, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates-to anit-skid devicesof the type for use in connection with vehicle wheels.

In the prior art relating to structures of this general nature, therehave been numerous devices adapted for attachment to vehicle wheels toprovide traction in snow or mud or on icy surfaces. However, thesestructures have not been particularly easy to mount on the wheels untilthe wheels were raised off the ground; nor have these structures beenreadily adjustable to the variations in wheel size. In U. S. Pat. No.2,456,544 to Varner it is known to provide a locking device for atelescoping tire clamp member, in which the locking device comprises alever link to engage a bayonet slot when activated by the lever barmovable in a plane transverse to the plane of the tire. This preventsany further movement of the member until it is unlocked by the leverbar, Thus no adjustment can occur. Also, in U. S. Pat. No. 2,510,451 toWilliams et al. it is known to provide a locking device comprising inpart a lever mechanism also transverse to the plane of the tire whichfurther includes a connecting member for adjusting the length of thewheel gripping arm. However, this adjustment feature may permit theloosening of the gripping arm under certain circumstances where the tirebecomes deflated due to a slow air leak or because of a punctureproducing a more rapid air leak. Thus no adjustment can occur while thevehicle is in motion.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an anit-skid device for a vehicle tire that isselfadjusting and self-locking while the vehicle is in motion to preventloosening of its effective grip upon the wheel if the wheel becomesdeflated.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an anit-skiddevice for a vehicle tire that has a selfadjusting and self-lockingfeature capable of being readily replaced.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide an anti-skiddevice comprising a body member having at least one stationary arm; saidarm comprising a hollow shaft housing a slidably telescoping rod memberfor gripping the wheel of a vehicle; and means attached to said arm formoving the rod member in the direction of securely gripping said wheel;said anti-skid device thereby being self-adjusting, self-tightening andself-locking unidirectionally in the direction of securely gripping thewheel.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparentas the description thereof proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In copending application S.N. 175,8l7 filedAug. 30, l97 l the invention is directed to providing an anti-skiddevice comprising a slidably telescoping rod member having a firstseries of teeth over its length and housed in a first arm in combinationwith a locking assembly on said first arm comprising a trigger meanshaving a second series of teeth for meshing into the first series ofteeth to prevent movement of the rod member in the extension directionout of the first arm while simultaneously permitting movement of the rodmember in the compression direction to securely grip the wheel.

It has been found that the cost of cutting, filing, and polishing thesetwo series of teeth is quite expensive to the extent that the finishedanti-skid device tends to have a price disadvantage.

It has also been found that if the locking assembly were to becomedamaged that the entire anit-skid device would necessarily have to bereplaced. In the pres ent invention the means for moving the rod memberis readily replaceable if it should become damaged or worn out.

It has been found that these problems are effectively overcome by thepresent invention which is directed to an anti-skid device comprising abody member having at least one stationary arm; said arm comprising ahollow shaft housing a slidably telescoping rod member for gripping thewheel of a vehicle; and means attached to said arm for moving the rodmember in the directionof securely gripping said wheel; said anti-skiddevice thereby being self-adjusting, self-tightening and selflockingunidirectionally in the direction of securely gripping the wheel.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the anti-skid device,

FIG. 2 is a view of the anti-skid device having been expanded and placedon a tire,

FIG. 3 is a view of the anit-skid device being tightened by rotation ofa tire,

FIG. 4 is a view of another embodiment of the antiskid device havingbeen explained and placed on a tire, and

FIG. 5 is a view of another embodiment of the antiskid device tightenedonto a tire.

Referring now to the several views of the drawings, the invention willbe explained in detail.

In FIG. 1 general reference numeral 2 indicates an anti-skid deviceshown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as mounted on a conventional automobile wheel 4carrying a conventional pneumatic tire 6. A device of this nature isapplied to the drive wheels, generally the rear wheels of an automobile,when the vehicle must travel through deep snow, soft mud, or on icysurfaces, and is intended to give suitable traction to the wheels whentraveling is difficult.

Anti-skid device 2 comprises a body member 8 having three rigidstationary metal arms 10, 12 and 14 made of steel, for example, in aplane parallel to the plane of the wheel. These three arms are connectedto form an equilateral triangle frame, for example, by being welded toeach other only at the vertices thereof at points 16, 18 and 20. Eacharm may project a short distance past the vertex, whereupon an extensionmeans 22, 24 or 26 is attached thereto, either by welding or by being afurther extension of its respective arm. The extension means on each armis curved to fit around the width or rolling surface of the wheel andtire and have a straight central area, plus being of a twisted outersurface not only to grip the wheel but also to provide tractionalfriction with the ground.

Mounted upon arm 14 is the means 28 for moving a telescoping rod member30 in the direction of securely gripping the wheel 4, as shown by FIG.2. Means 28 is shown to be a spring means but alternatively could be anyelastic member that has the power to pull rod member 30 into its housingin arm 14 and to maintain the extension means of the rod member in afirm grip around the tire.

Spring 28 is attached to the stationary housing arm 14 by fastener means31 or 34 adjacent to vertex 18 and slightly thereabove, while the springis simultaneously attached to the telescoping rod member by fastenermeans 32 or 36 adjacent to the extension means 26. In the embodimentshown in FIG. I the fastener means 31 is comprised by a hole drilledthrough arm 14, through which a straightened portion of one end of thespring has been extended; and then the straightened portion is wrappedaround the arm. Rod 30 is not so lengthy as to contact this straightenedportion of spring 28 even when fully inserted into arm 14. Fastenermeans 32 is comprised by a hole drilled through rod member 30 (FIG. 2shows rod 30) through which a straightened portion of the other end ofthe spring has been extended; and then the straightened portion iswrapped around the rod. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the fastenermeans 34 is comprised by a hook attached, for example, by being weldedor screwed to the stationary housing arm 14 adjacent to vertex 18 forholding one end of the spring which is usually wrapped into the eye ofthe hook. Fastener means 36 is comprised by a hook attached to thetelescoping rod member 30 adjacent to the extension means 26 for holdingone end of the spring which is usually wrapped into the eye of the hook.

One advantage of the present invention is that if the elastic member 28should become damaged or worn out then this elastic member can readilybe removed and replaced. In order to insure ease of replaceability ofthe spring, the two embodiments of fastener means are constructed andarranged such that each respective end of the elastic member is securelyaffixed into position on the anti-skid device without being permanentlyattached thereto.

In the operation of this anti-skid device, the operator would grasp arm12 with one hand and grasp extension means 26 with the other and usingmeans 26 as a handle pull the telescoping rod member 30 out of itshousing 14, thus stretching the spring. Then extension mmeans 22 and 24would then be positioned around the tire 6 with the body member 8pressed snugly against the wheel 4, as shown by FIG. 2. At this pointthe operator would allow the extended spring to draw the rod member 30back into its housing, whereby extension means 26 would snugly andfirmly grip the tire.

This arrangement of features prevents movement of the telescoping rodmember in a direction that extends it out of the housing, whereby theanti-skid device could not properly grip the wheel. However, thisarrangement of features simultaneously permits movement of the rodmember in a direction that compresses it into the housing, so as toassure very adequate grippage of the wheel.

If, for example, the tire were to lose air pressure while the car isparked and thereby become of diminished diameter, the anti-skid devicewould automatically adjust itself to this new diameter based upon theelastic pull of the spring means 28. If the tire were to lose airpressure while the car were in motion and thereby become of diminisheddiameter, the anti-skid device would automatically adjust itself to thisnew diameter based upon the rolling motion of the vehicle which wouldposition the extension 26 between the wheel and ground 38 and be meansof the weight of the vehicle force the rod 30 further into its housinguntil a tight grip of the wheel were again achieved as shown in FIG. 3.This tight grip would be maintained by elastic member 28. Thus theanti-skid device is self-adjusting, self-tightening for safety purposes,and self-locking unidirectionally for telescoping movement of the rodmember in the direction of securely gripping the tire and the wheel evenif the tire were to become deflated while the vehicle is at rest or inmotion.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 a second embodiment of the invention is shown.

Mounted upon arm 14 is the means 28 for moving a telescoping rod member30 in the direction of securely gripping the wheel 4, as shown by FIG.4. Means 28 is shown to be a spring means but alternatively could be anyelastic member that has the power to pull rod member 30 into its housingin arm 14 and to maintain the extension means of the rod member in afirm grip around the tire.

Spring 28 is attached to telescoping rod member 30 by fastener means 40adjacent to the extension means 26. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4the fastener means 40 is comprised by a hole drilled through rod 30,through which a straightened portion of one end of the spring has beenextended; and then the straightened portion is looped around the arm.Fastener means 40 is not so positioned as to contact the tire when therod member is fully inserted into the arm 14 so as to have the extensionmeans grip the tire. Spring 28 is attached at the other end to levermeans 42 that has a hole 44 drilled through the central portion thereof,into which one end of spring 28 is placed. The lever comprises a bar 46having a grapple means 48 at one end thereof, while at the opposite endthereof having a pivot means 50 for rotatably fastening the lever meansto the hollow arm 14.

Preferably the lever means comprises a C-shaped bar 46 in which thegrapple means 48 is an L-shaped bar integrally joined to the end of theC-shaped bar in such a manner that the lever means can securely grip thehollow arm and be locked thereto, as shown in FIG. 5. While the L-shapedgrapple means is shown opening away from arm 14, it could also opentoward arm 14 as long as it enables the lever means to securely grip arm14.

The pivot means 50 comprises a pin rigidly attached at one end to arm14, for example, by welding. The pivot pin is loosely attached to theother end of the C- shaped bar. Even though the C-shaped bar can rotateand wobble around the pivot pin, bar 44 cannot escape from this pinbecause the flattened head portion of the pin prevents this fromoccurring.

One advantage of the present invention is that if the elastic member 28should become damaged or worn out then this elastic member can readilybe removed and replaced. In order to insure ease of replaceability ofthe spring, the fastener means 40 and 44 are constructed and arrangedsuch thateach respective end of the elastic member is securely affixedinto position on the anti-skid device without being permanently attachedthereto.

In the operation of this embodiment of the anti-skid device and assumingone begins with the lever means in its locked position shown in FIG. 5,the operator would first push the lever bar toward tire 4 until grapplemeans 48 is disengaged from hollow arm 14. Then with a lifting androtating movement of the lever bar 46, the operator would raise grapplemeans 48 up and over arm 14 until the lever means 42 were in theposition shown in FIG. 4. At this point the tension in spring 28 wouldbe released. The operator would grasp arm 12 with one hand and graspextension means 26 with the other and using means 26 as a handle pullthe telescoping rod member out of its housing 14, thus stretching thespring. Then extension means 22 and 24 would then be positioned aroundthe tire 6 with the body member 8 pressed snugly against the wheel 4, asshown by FIG. 5. At this point the operator would push extension means26 against the tire forcing the rod member 30 back into its housing.Lever means 42 would be rotated and lifted so as to raise grapple means48 over arm 14 and position it between arm 14 and tire 6. Then thegrapple means 48 would be pressed against arm 14 in order that the leverwill securely grip the hollow arm and be locked thereto.

This arrangement of features prevents movement of the telescoping rodmember in a direction that extends it out of the housing, whereby theanti-skid device could not properly grip the wheel. However, thisarrangement of features simultaneously permits movement of the rodmember in a direction that compresses it into the housing, so as toassure very adequate grippage of the wheel.

If, for example, the tire were to lose air pressure while the car isparked and thereby become of diminished diameter, the anti-skid devicewould automatically adjust itself to this new diameter based upon theelastic pull of the spring means 28. If the tire were to lose airpressure while the car were in motion and thereby become of diminisheddiameter, the anti-skid device would automatically adjust itself to thisnew diameter based upon the rolling motion of the vehicle which wouldposition the extension 26 between the wheel and ground 38 and by meansof the weight of the vehicle force the rod 30 further into its housinguntil a tight grip of the wheel were again achieved as shown in FIG. 3.This tight grip would be maintained by elastic member 28. Thus theanti-skid device is self-adjusting, self-tightening for safety purposes,and self-locking unidirectionally for telescoping movement of the rodmember in the direction of securely gripping the tire and the wheel evenif the tire were to become deflated while the vehicle is at rest or inmotion.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in connection with afew preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications may beresorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from theprinciples of the new invention. All of these variations andmodifications are considered to be within the true spirit and scope ofthe present invention as disclosed in the foregoing description anddefined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-adjusting and self-tightening anti-skid device for mounting ona driving wheel of a motor vehicle, consisting of a unitary triangularframe composed of two solid rod members and one hollow rod member, firstand second means for gripping said wheel at two apices of saidtriangular frame, a solid rod member with a third means for gripping thewheel telescopically slidable within said hollow rod member, each ofsaid wheel gripping means being an integral planar extension of arespective solidrod member and extending at substantially right anglesto the plane of said triangular frame, and exterior spring means forresiliently urging said slidable solid rod member into said hollow rodmemher.

2. The anti-skid device of claim 1 in which said spring means isattached directly to said hollow rod member and directly to saidslidable rod member.

3. The anti-skid device of claim 2 wherein a straightened portion ofsaid spring means extends through a hole in the hollow rod memberadjacent to a vertex of said frame and wrapped around said hollow rodmember; and wherein another straightened portion of said spring meansextends through a hole in said slidable rod member adjacent to thegripping means and wrapped around said slidable rod member.

4. The anti-skid device of claim 2 wherein a first book is attached tothe hollow rod member adjacent a vertex of said frame for holding oneend of said spring means; and wherein a second hook is attached to saidslidable rod member adjacent to the gripping means for holding the otherend of said spring means.

5. The anti-skid device of claim 1 in which said spring means isattached to a lever means.

6. The anti-skid device of claim 5 in which said lever means comprises abar having a grapple means at one end thereof, at the opposite endthereof said bar having a pivot means for rotatably fastening said levermeans to said hollow rod member, and said bar having means for attachingsaid spring means thereto.

7. The anti-skid device of claim 6 in which said lever means comprises aC-shaped bar; in which said grapple means comprises an L-shaped barintegrally joined to saidC-shaped bar so as to permit said lever tosecurely grip said hollow rod member and to lock said lever meansthereto; in which said pivot means comprises a pin rigidly attached atone end to said hollow rod and loosely attached to the other end of saidC-shaped bar;

and in which said means for attaching said spring means is an openingthrough the central portion of said lever means.

1. A self-adjusting and self-tightening anti-skid device for mounting ona driving wheel of a motor vehicle, consisting of a unitary triangularframe composed of two solid rod members and one hollow rod member, firstand second means for gripping said wheel at two apices of saidtriangular frame, a solid rod member with a third means for gripping thewheel telescopically slidable within said hollow rod member, each ofsaid wheel gripping means being an integral planar extension of arespective solid rod member and extending at substantially right anglesto the plane of said triangular frame, and exterior spring means forresiliently urging said slidable solid rod member into said hollow rodmember.
 2. The anti-skid device of claim 1 in which said spring means isattached directly to said hollow rod member and directly to saidslidable rod member.
 3. The anti-skid device of claim 2 wherein astraightened portion of said spring means extends through a hole in thehollow rod member adjacent to a vertex of said frame and wrapped aroundsaid hollow rod member; and wherein another straightened portion of saidspring means extends through a hole in said slidable rod member adjacentto the gripping means and wrapped around said slidable rod member. 4.The anti-skid device of claim 2 wherein a first hook is attached to thehollow rod member adjacent a vertex of said frame for holding one end ofsaid spring means; and wherein a second hook is attached to saidslidable rod member adjacent to the gripping means for holding the otherend of said spring means.
 5. The anti-skid device of claim 1 in whichsaid spring means is attached to a lever means.
 6. The anti-skid deviceof claim 5 in which said lever means comprises a bar having a grapplemeans at one end thereof, at the opposite end thereof said bar having apivot means for rotatably fastening said lever means to said hollow rodmember, and said bar having means for attaching said spring meansthereto.
 7. The anti-skid device of claim 6 in which said lever meanscomprises a C-shaped bar; in which said grapple means comprises anL-shaped bar integrally joined to said C-shaped bar so as to permit saidlever to securely grip said hollow rod member and to lock said levermeans thereto; in which said pivot means comprises a pin rigidlyattached at one end to said hollow rod and loosely attached to the otherend of said C-shaped bar; and in which said means for attaching saidspring means is an opening through the central portion of said levermeans.